Hinge support for automobile tops



M; R. HULL HIIQI SUPPORT FOR AUTOIOBILE TQPS Filed March 29, 1924 'J fan. 12.1920.

' gnvantoz MaiihwRf/u ll 7 i s I L 6mm Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,559,807 PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW IR. HULL, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO REX MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

HINGE SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

Application filed March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,961.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW R. HULL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hinge Supports for Automobile Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to an improvement in automobile tops with the object of facilitating the crating of the tops for shipment.

Another object is to facilitate handling in the factory and to decrease the cost of such handling and crating, both as to labor cost and as to cost of materials.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a top embodying my improvements with part of the trim removed for clearness of disclosure, and

Figure 2 a rear view of the same.

In the drawings reference character 10 denotes the roof rail of the top which is horizontal as usual, 11 a bow of the type illustrated in my copending case No. 702,959 of even date herewith, 12 the rear bow, 13 the trim, and 1 1 a leg extending down from the rear bow and secured to the permanent body of the vehicle. The legs and rear bow, have hitherto been made in one piece or at least rigidly connected to each other thereby making the top awkward to crate or else rendering it necessary to disconnect the trim from the rear bow and reconnect it after the top arrived at its destination. The main purpose of my invention is to render it unecessary to trim and untrim and at the same time make the top more comact.

With this object in view I provide an outer plate 15 and an inner plate 16, each of which covers the joint between the roof rail and the rear bow and is secured to the respective parts by screws or rivets indicated at 17. The outer plate is substantially covered by the trim, the lower edge of which is shown at 18 in Figure 1 and holes are formed'in the plate at 19 through which tacks may be driven for attaching the trim. The plates extend some distance below the lower end of the bow and support between them a pivot 20 on which the leg let is mounted to swing from the solid line position of Figure 1 to the dotted line position, the latter being the position assumed when the top is to be crated. A plate 21 is fixed in any convenient manner to the leg adjacent the lower end of the bow, said plate extending over the joint between the parts named. At its upper end the plate has an opening to receive the end of a bolt 22 preferably extending diagonally throu h the roof rail and the rear bow. When the bolt is arranged as here shown it is provided with a washer of the character indicated at 23. It will be seen that the bolt holds the leg rigidly in extended position.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my device may be modified in various respects, and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a vehicle top, a roof rail, a rear bow, a leg pivoted to the bow and adapted to fold up adjacent to the lower part of the top, a plate fixed to the rear side of the leg extending over the joint between the leg and the bow, plates at the inner and outer sides of the bow also extending over said joint said plates supporting the pivot for the leg and the outer plate being apertured to permit fastening of the trim, and a bolt extending diagonally through the roof rail the bow and the upper end of the firstnamed plate to hold said leg in extended position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vehicle top, a rear bow, a leg pivoted to the bow and adapted to fold up adjacent to the lower part of the top, a plate fixed to the rear side of the leg extending over the joint between the leg and the bow, and a bolt secured to the top extending through the upper end of said plate to hold the leg in extended position, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automobile top, a roof rail, an inclined rear bow extending below the roof rail and forming therewith an acute angle below the roof rail and in front of the bow said how having legs pivotally connected to the body thereof below said roof rail to fold up against the top, means for normally holding said legs rigidly extended, plates secured to the roofi'ail and the bow said plates extending over said angle and the outer plate being perforated for attachment of the trim to the bow below the roof rails, substantially 5 as set forth.

4-. A flexible vehicle top comprising a canopy, a series of bows supporting the same, roof rails attached to the ends of the bows, a rear leg pivotally connected to the 10 rear bow, a plate secured to the leg said plate extending over the point between the bow and the leg, and a bolt extending through the side rail the lower end of the rear bow and said plate, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Connfirsville, Indiana this 25th day of Mart-h A. l). nineteen hundred and twenty-four.

MATTHIUV R. HULL. [L. s.] 

